Gulf Coast Confidential with Mollye Barrows

Mollye Barrows
  • 4.8 (69)
  • True Crime
  • Updated Weekly

I’m Investigative Journalist Mollye Barrows. For years, I’ve covered the stories that made headlines in Northwest Florida and all along the Gulf Coast - murders, missing persons, and mysteries of all kinds. These cases are far from over for many victims because the full story has yet to surface. Join me for Gulf Coast Confidential, where I dive into the saltier side of the South and expose the lies, greed, and corruption that often weighs down the truth.

  1. 1d ago

    Is Alleigha Botner the new Wendi Adelson? Walking Free While Caleb Flynn, Donna Adelson Get Life

    Send us Fan Mail Is Alleigha Botner the new Wendi Adelson? Did these 2 women play the system and get away with murder? There are some curious and definite parallels between Wendi Adelson(from the Dan Markel case) and Alleigha Botner (from the Caleb Flynn trial). Both women sat on the witness stand detailing their close proximity to a horrific murder. Yet, both have managed to escape handcuffs.  Here is how their situations mirror each other: The Convenient Alibis & Shifting Stories Wendi Adelson had an alibi of being elsewhere running errands on the morning her ex-husband was shot.     Similarly, Alleigha Botner protected herself by shifting her timeline. She admitted on the stand to deleting texts and lying to the FBI about her actions the morning Ashley Flynn was killed. The Convicted Inner Circle  While Wendi’s brother (Charlie) and mother (Donna) were fully charged and convicted for their roles in the murder, Wendi remains unindicted.  Similarly, Caleb Flynn has been found guilty of orchestrating his wife's murder, but Alleigha remains completely uncharged. The Incriminating Texts Despite Alleigha literally text-fantasizing about wanting the victim dead—texting "I want to kill her, Caleb"—and messaging him hours before the murder that he was "about to be free," legal experts say she is unlikely to face murder charges.  I’m thinking it’s probably not a good idea to play poker with either one of them because it looks like they hold the winning hand no matter what.  Join us for the latest episode of the Gulf Coast Confidential Podcast, "Is Alleigha Botner the new Wendi Adelson? Walking Free While Caleb Flynn, Donna Adelson Get Life." Support the show

  2. Oct 13

    Texts, warm milk, and 'Boom' shirt - Mackenzie Shirilla

    Send us Fan Mail When Mackenzie Shirilla was sentenced to 15 years to life for intentionally driving her car into a brick wall at 100 miles per hour—killing her boyfriend Dominic Russo and friend DaVon Flanigan—the world thought they had seen the worst of the case. But a massive 31,000-page digital forensics dump released by the Strongsville Police Department has opened up a brand new, deeply unsettling chapter. While the public has long known about the toxic, abusive text loops she sent to Dominic, the internet is now completely fixated on the late-night text messages she sent to her father, Steve Shirilla.  "Bring Me Warm Milk."  "Rub My Feet." Between the hours of 10:00 PM and 3:00 AM, right in the middle of volatile, screaming text battles with her boyfriend, Mackenzie would fire off cold, urgent commands to her dad from her bedroom: * “Can you make me warm milk?” * “Come rub my feet.” * “Enter quietly.” The forensic logs show her father texting her the next day at noon, asking from a safe distance if she “still needs that warm milk.”       On this week's episode of Gulf Coast Confidential, we discuss some of the bizarre dysfunction and destruction McKenzie Shirilla stirred up on the daily. It’s all weird, just weird. Support the show

  3. Oct 6

    Christa Pike survived a lethal injection, Caleb Flynn has time in prison for reflection

    Send us Fan Mail We are kicking things off with the unbelievably sad and bizarre story of Allie the alligator before diving into a major true-crime double-feature.  First, we break down the case involving Tennessee death row inmate Christa Pike and a botched lethal injection.  Then, we unpack the drama around American Idol contestant and music pastor Caleb Flynn. Yesterday, a judge sentenced him to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the aggravated murder of his wife, Ashley.  Despite thousands of uncovered messages with his mistress and a jury taking just two hours to find him guilty, Flynn doubled down on his innocence today, stating: “As I stand here before God, who is my ultimate judge, I am not lying when I say I did not kill my wife.”  Judge Jeannine Pratt had the final word, sharply firing back at his defense: “The layers of deceit, manipulation, and cruelty that you have shown are quite honestly impossible to fathom. Join us for the latest episode of Gulf Coast Confidential, "Christa Pike survived a lethal injection,  Caleb Flynn has time in prison for reflection."   Support the show

  4. Sep 29

    The Death Penalty is alive and well for Christa Pike and Dr. Kosowski

    Send us Fan Mail This is Christa Pike’s last full day of life.  Governor Bill Lee denied her clemency request and declined to block the 50-year-old woman’s death sentence.  If carried out, she will be the first woman the state of Tennessee has executed in more than 200 years. Pike is scheduled to die by lethal injection on September 30, 2026, for the cruel and brutal murder of 19-year-old Colleen Slemmer in 1995, when they were both enrolled in the Knoxville Job Corps.  Prosecutors say Christa was jealous of Colleen and saw her as a “romantic rival.”  Pike, her boyfriend, and a friend orchestrated an attack so violent that after it was over Colleen’s face was indistinguishable from the back of her head.  Christa even kept a piece of Colleen’s skull as a trophy. Colleen’s mother, May Martinez, has long advocated for justice for her daughter and she is traveling from Florida to be there for the execution, thanks to support from her friends and neighbors. She and her husband live on a fixed income in Jacksonville, Florida.  With the help of a community campaign and the Justice Coalition they were able to cover the $2,500 in travel expenses needed for the trip to Nashville they otherwise couldn’t afford. While one execution is scheduled to soon be underway, a Florida plastic surgeon convicted of murder faces a possible death sentence for killing an attorney who was litigating a billing case against him.  Dr. Thomasz Kosowski planned and plotted to kill Steven Cozzi over a $15,000 medical bill. Police believe Kosowski executed his plan at Cozzi’s law office in Largo, Florida, but his body was never found.   That didn’t prevent a judge from convicting Kosowski of first-degree murder.   Join us for the latest episode of the Gulf Coast Confidential Podcast, “The Death Penalty is alive and well for Christa Pike and Dr. Kosowski.”  Support the show

  5. Sep 22

    Purveyor of Toxic Masculinity and Allie the Alligator, plus the court-martial of Air Force SOC Anthony Green

    Send us Fan Mail Ever been called an old hen? Well, we have. This episode is chock full of folks showing their entire hiney.  Some do it at 30,000 feet, like Layne Lundeen, whose behavior was so offensive and rude on an airplane that other passengers duct-taped and zip tied him to his chair.  Other folks are doing their worst right here on the ground. Caleb Flynn, a former American Idol contestant/pastor, is now on trial for shooting his sleeping in the wife and blaming it on an “intruder” because he didn’t want her interfering with the 100,000 texts he was exchanging with this mistress. There’s also Barry Morphew who is back in jail on a $10 million cash bond after police said they now have the evidence to show the Colorado man made his wife and mother of his children disappear on Mother’s Day. Investigators believe he used an elephant tranquilizer on her, killed her, and hid her body. Locally, we’re focusing on the court-martial of U.S. Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Anthony Green, former command chief of Air Force Special Operations Command at Hurlburt Field, who was convicted and sentenced for hiding three cameras in his 15-year-old stepdaughter’s bedroom and live streaming what he saw. He told the judge it was just an “enormous mistake,” the result of a “military mindset.” The Judge was not having it.  And speaking of Hurlburt Field, Lt. Col. Steven and self-proclaimed “Purveyor of Toxic Masculinity” wants to enter the chat about Allie the alligator and with his expertise teach us about new “legal” ways to capture and torture alligators.  His approach to defending the former U.S. Navy Seal who is charged with a misdemeanor by FWC for capturing Allie without a permit and killing her with a power drill, is to start with gender-insulting name calling and blaming everyone but the accused offender. He even challenged a wildlife expert and called him names as well. Formerly with Air Force Special Operations Command, Spanovich claimed we “have too much time on our hands.” Well, we have just enough time to talk about him and these other examples of “toxic masculinity” on the latest episode of the Gulf Coast Confidential Podcast.  Join us for “Purveyor of Toxic Masculinity and Allie the Alligator, plus the court-martial of Air Force SOC Anthony Green,” as we cluck back at all this unnecessary, chest beating cluckery.  Support the show

  6. Sep 15

    Trapper Kevin Lacz, others accused of drilling 'Allie' the alligator in head, they’re bickering about paperwork instead

    Send us Fan Mail When "Allie" the alligator was taken from her Florida retention pond, hauled off in the back of a truck, and killed with a power drill at a former Navy SEAL’s home in Gulf Breeze, it sparked nationwide public outrage and a fierce battle over state wildlife enforcement.  The attorney for the men accused of illegally trapping and executing her with a power drill claim they were simply taking care of an active "nuisance."  But with state records showing their official removal permit had expired two years prior, was this a routine case of public safety—or an act of lawless animal poaching? Join us for the latest episode of the Gulf Coast Confidential Podcast, "Trapper Kevin Lacz, others accused of drilling 'Allie' the alligator in head, they’re bickering about paperwork instead." Support the show

  7. Sep 8

    'Badd Barbie' Kelsey Turner kills Sugar Daddy Psychiatrist

    Send us Fan Mail Former Playboy model Kelsey Turner took being selfish and greedy to a whole new level.  The 29-year-old was known as "Badd Barbie" online - a persona police say she carried into her personal life when she manipulated and exploited her 71 year old “Sugar Daddy” Child Psychiatrist Dr. Thomas Burchard like a professional fraudster. Over the course of their less than two year relationship he spent an estimated $500,000 to fund her lavish lifestyle, including covering her rent on homes in California and Las Vegas and the lease payments on a beautiful, blue Mercedes.   Fed up with her lies and finally realizing he was nothing but her Golden Goose, Dr. Burchard traveled to Las Vegas in March 2019 to confront Turner and cut off her financial support. Knowing the free ride was over, Turner’s actual boyfriend Jon Logan Kennison, who was secretly living off Burchard too, beat the elderly doctor to death with a baseball bat at Turner’s instruction.  He stuffed Dr. Burchard’s bludgeoned body into the trunk of Turner’s Mercedes-Benz and abandoned it in the Nevada desert near Lake Mead. Police found the car and Burchard’s dead body three days later.   This is a cautionary tale with a moral of financial exploitation and toxic relationships can have deadly consequences.  People were merely resources to Kelsey Turner and when her supplies were cut off, greed and selfishness trumped human life and resulted in death, despair, and some long prison sentences. Join us for the latest episode of the Gulf Coast Confidential Podcast, "'Badd Barbie' Kelsey Turner kills Sugar Daddy Psychiatrist." Support the show

  8. Sep 1

    Medication Mix-Up at Ascension Saint Thomas leaves patients paralyzed

    Send us Fan Mail On August 14, 2026, a catastrophic medication mix-up occurred at Ascension Saint Thomas Midtown hospital in Nashville, Tennessee, where four routine joint-replacement surgery patients were accidentally injected in the spine with potassium phosphate instead of the intended local anesthetic, mepivacaine.  The severe error left at least one patient permanently paralyzed from the sternum down and sent others to intensive care.  An 80-page state investigation by the Tennessee Health Facilities Commission revealed that the incident was a systemic failure involving multiple missed safety checks and the hospital had a “culture of non-compliance.”  The Pharmacy Error: A pharmacy technician mistakenly grabbed vials of potassium phosphate from the wrong storage bin while preparing surgical nerve-block syringes. Ignored Safety Alerts: When the technician scanned the potassium vial, the computer system flagged an error. Rather than stopping, the technician overrode or bypassed the alert and proceeded to fill five syringes, which were then incorrectly labeled as the anesthetic.  Two other pharmacy technicians participating in the workflow had an opportunity to double check the correctness of the drug as well. A pharmacist final verification check failed to notice the mistake. Because surgical teams must rely on the labeled pharmacy syringes, doctors injected the high-alert medication directly into the patients' spines.  State regulators placed the hospital under an "immediate jeopardy" warning due to critical flaws in pharmacy protocols, surgical care, and administrative response and there's now an ongoing criminal investigation. Join us for more in the latest Gulf Coast Confidential Podcast episode, "Medication Mix-Up at Ascension Saint Thomas leaves patients paralyzed."  Support the show

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About

I’m Investigative Journalist Mollye Barrows. For years, I’ve covered the stories that made headlines in Northwest Florida and all along the Gulf Coast - murders, missing persons, and mysteries of all kinds. These cases are far from over for many victims because the full story has yet to surface. Join me for Gulf Coast Confidential, where I dive into the saltier side of the South and expose the lies, greed, and corruption that often weighs down the truth.

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